Okay, I've searched for Associate Project Manager roles in West Lafayette, IN, with remote options, requiring 5+ years of project management experience, preferably in the aerospace or defense industries. I have found 47 positions matching your criteria.

Sure. Here's the analysis:

Job Analysis:

The Associate Project Manager role is fundamentally designed to provide structured support to engineering and quality teams within technical projects, primarily in aerospace or related high-compliance industries such as defense or space. The core purpose is to ensure projects are managed efficiently against defined contractual and quality standards, enhancing team coordination, process optimization, and metric-driven performance tracking. The role demands a proactive servant leadership mindset—someone who anticipates changing client and program needs and adapts smoothly while supporting cross-functional teams. Responsibilities like personnel onboarding tracking, budget adherence, contract compliance, and process improvement are interconnected; success in this role means becoming a reliable facilitator of operational rigor that allows technical experts to focus on engineering challenges. The candidate must be comfortable navigating complex regulatory environments (e.g., ITAR, AS9100) and contract terms while possessing strong communication and data analysis skills for clear documentation, reporting, and problem resolution. While there is managerial oversight, the candidate will exercise significant autonomy in project tracking, issue escalation, and continuous process refinement. Within 6-12 months, the ideal candidate will have established trusted partnerships across departments, demonstrated consistent contractual compliance, and contributed to measurable process improvements aligned with Butler’s client and internal expectations.

Company Analysis:

Butler Aerospace & Defense (BAA), a long-standing player since 1947 and a subsidiary of HCLTech, operates as a high-precision engineering solutions provider within aerospace and defense sectors. Its identity as a technology-driven and quality-focused firm serving mission-critical clients demands that employees, particularly in roles supporting technical project management, embrace agility and rigor simultaneously. The company’s emphasis on rapid, full life-cycle solutions positions this role in a dynamic, fast-evolving environment where stakeholder expectations for compliance, quality, and digital transformation converge. Butler’s culture likely values servant leadership, adaptability, and cross-disciplinary collaboration given the demands of coordinating across engineering, quality, and program management groups remotely. The role’s placement under program management leadership and its cross-functional nature suggest meaningful visibility with mid-level leadership and opportunities to influence operational effectiveness, particularly as the company scales or diversifies client engagements. Given its heritage and global parentage, Butler fosters a culture blending traditional aerospace discipline with modern technological innovation, challenging the Associate Project Manager to be both process-oriented and a proactive change agent aligned with strategic growth and client satisfaction goals.

Absolutely. Here are some mock interview questions that could come up:

• Behavioral: Tell me about a time when you had to manage competing priorities across multiple teams in a complex engineering project. How did you ensure everyone stayed aligned?
• Behavioral: Describe an instance where you identified a process inefficiency in your project management duties. What steps did you take to improve it and what was the outcome?
• Behavioral: Provide an example of how you have demonstrated servant leadership in your previous project management roles.
• Behavioral: Share a situation where you had to facilitate resolution of conflicts related to contract compliance or project scope changes.
• Technical: How would you approach establishing and tracking performance metrics in a multidisciplinary engineering program?
• Technical: Explain your experience with ITAR or EAR compliance and how you have ensured adherence in project management contexts.
• Technical: Describe your familiarity with project tracking tools such as MS Project or Power BI and how you have used them to manage project timelines and budgets.
• Technical: What steps do you take to ensure quality program requirements, like AS9100 standards, are consistently met through project processes?
• Situational: Imagine the engineering team misses an important training deadline that affects compliance. How would you handle this issue while maintaining project momentum?
• Situational: You discover discrepancies in budget tracking during project review meetings that could lead to overruns. What actions would you take to address this proactively?
• Situational: Suppose a key stakeholder requests a significant modification to the scope mid-project that conflicts with contractual terms. How do you manage this situation?
• Company Fit: Why are you interested in working with Butler Aerospace Defense, and how do you see your experience supporting our mission of rapid, agile engineering solutions?
• Company Fit: Butler values servant leadership and adaptability. How do your personal and professional values align with this culture?
• Company Fit: How do you stay informed and prepared to work within complex regulatory environments typical of aerospace and defense industries?
• Questions for Interviewer: Can you describe the typical project teams I would collaborate with and how this role interfaces with other departments?
• Questions for Interviewer: What are the most critical challenges Butler currently faces in project management within engineering teams?
• Questions for Interviewer: How does Butler support professional development and growth for contract roles such as the Associate Project Manager?